Unequal Democracy the Political Economy of the New Gilded Age Review
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In all seriousness, while some of the results are obvious, the statistics behind them are interesting besides as some of the factors leading to those results. Nearly interestingly, Bartels does his best to approach the data and results in a non-biased and factual style. He claims non to have voted in an election since 1984 when he voted for Reagan, so he's not a left wing nut, though his findings in the book have conspicuously swung his political views to the left.
In the end, one is left wondering why anyone would ever vote Republican if economics are their main business concern since all levels of income earners exercise better under Democratic presidents and six of the last seven recessions have happened nether Republican presidents. Bartels attempts to prove why these seemingly nonsensical and non-constituent maximizing political results happen by highlighting the furnishings of information asymmetry, economic standing, brusk sightedness of voters, and political party line voting. He examines seemingly incongruous results through real world data and examples such as the minimum wage and manor tax.
Independents and Republicans should read this book as information technology is not a polemic and is as reasoned equally a conclusion making political book can exist. Data doesn't prevarication, nor practise statistics, despite what Mark Twain opined.
...moreInteresting quotes:
"Meanwhile, the political procedure has evolved in ways that seem likely to reinforce the advantages of wealth. Political campaigns accept become dramatically more expensive since the 1950's, increasing the reliance of elected officials on people who tin beget to assist finance their bids for reelection. Lobbying activities by corporations and business and professional organizations have accelerated profoundly, outpacing the growth of public involvement groups.Membership in labor unions have declined substantially, eroding the primary mechanism for organized representation of working people in the governmental procedure."
"The existent value of the minimum wage has declined by more than 40% since the late 1960's, despite remarkably strong and consistent public support for minimum wage increases."
"For example, while the real income of taxpayers at the 99th percentile doubled between 1981 and 2005, the real income of taxpayers at the 99.9th percentile near tripled, and the real income of taxpayers at the 99.99th percentile - a hyper-rich stratum comprising of nigh 13,000 taxpayers - increased fivefold."
"In 2005, the New York Times published a xx-yr retrospective on the list of the 400 wealthiest Americans produced annually by Forbes magazine. The Times noted that the average internet worth of these 400 economic luminaries increased more than fourfold over that menstruation (from $600 million in 1985 to $two.81 billion in 2005) and that their combined cyberspace wealth in 2005 exceeded the gross domestic product of Canada. The median household income of Americans has been stuck at around $44,000 for five years at present. The poverty rate is up.Members of the Forbes 400, meanwhile, are richer than Croesus and every hr are getting richer."
"Although it is common for Americans to suppose that the nation's collective wealth makes fifty-fifty poor people ameliorate off than they otherwise would be, the reality is that poor people in America seem to exist distinctly less well off than poor people in countries that are less wealthy merely less unequal. A careful comparing of the living standards of poor children in thirteen rich democracies in the 1990's found the U.s. ranking next to concluding......worry that inequality itself may take deleterious social implications in the realms of family and community life, wellness and instruction."
"Middle-form America didn't sally by blow. Information technology was created past what has been called the Bang-up Pinch of incomes that took place during World Wat Ii and sustained for a generation past social norms that favored equality, strong labor unions, and progressive revenue enhancement. Since the 1970's, all of those sustaining forces take lost their power. Since 1980 in particular, U.S.government policies have consistently favored the wealthy at the expense of working families - and under the current (George W. Bush) administration, that favoritism has become extreme and relentless. From tax cuts that favor the rich to bankruptcy 'reform' that punishes the unlucky, nearly every domestic policy seems intended to accelerate our march back to the robber baron era."
and with an election coming up, hither'south food for thought:
"On average, the existent incomes of eye-course families have grown twice equally fast under Democrats as they take under Republicans, while the real incomes of working poor families take grown half dozen times as fast under Democrats as they accept under Republicans. These substantial partisan differences persist even afterward allowing for differences in economic circumstances and historical trends beyond the control of private presidents. They advise that escalating inequality is not simply an inevitable economic trend - and that a cracking deal of economic inequality in the contemporary United States is specifically attributable to the policies and priorities of Republican presidents."
...more than- Partisan politics make a significant difference in income growth and income distribution. This is reverse to economic reductionism and some popular belief, i.e., that the economy volition do what it does regardless of who we elect as president. The story is not expert for Republicans and conservatives, but this is not an ideological argument -- it's statistical assay.
- There is no statistical prove to claim that elected representatives (Democr
An eye-opening book. Bartels makes 2 major points:- Partisan politics make a significant difference in income growth and income distribution. This is contrary to economic reductionism and some pop belief, i.eastward., that the economy volition exercise what it does regardless of who we elect as president. The story is not adept for Republicans and conservatives, merely this is not an ideological argument -- it's statistical analysis.
- There is no statistical evidence to claim that elected representatives (Democratic or Republican) pay whatsoever directly attention to the views of the lower 3rd of income earners in their constituencies. That lower third shares a consistently diminishing portion of income growth and has no discernible share in political decisions made past their elected representatives (in Congress).
Along the way, Bartels offers an alternative answer to the "What'southward the Affair with Kansas?" question -- Thomas Frank'southward book -- why voters (at to the lowest degree before the last election) vote for Republican candidates who do not appear to represent their best economic interests. Franks had said that, with those voters, "cultural value" problems (abortion, schoolhouse prayer, etc.) had over-ridden economic interests. Bartels, once more through statistical assay, finds that those voters are actually voting their economic interests, but through a "myopic" lens -- voters' behaviors reflect election year economic functioning to the exclusion of other years. Republican presidential candidates do good from disproportionate economic growth during election years, while not paying the toll of low or even negative growth and increasing inequality over the full course of their administrations. Democrats, despite producing college overall income growth across all income segments and lower inequality, suffer from relatively poor growth during ballot years.
...moreSince the degree of inequality is well discussed elsewhere -- and should, for most of us, be part of our "facts on file" in the first place -- I share with you my increased une
Dr. Bartels' key concern in this volume is to both demonstrate how dramatically unequal the U.s.a. has become AND why it is that then relatively few people -- despite sharing moderate to progressive views on most social, political and economic bug -- take repeatedly voted in ways that align with their sentiments.Since the degree of inequality is well discussed elsewhere -- and should, for most of u.s.a., be function of our "facts on file" in the first place -- I share with you my increased uneasiness over "democracy" as a consequence of reading this book.
For, in fact, the boilerplate person'southward true "state of knowledge" nigh the economic system, politics, or even as to which party has most benefited persons like themselves over short and long periods of fourth dimension IS ABYSMAL!
"We the people" are remarkably uninformed, easily misled, our vision and imagination severely curtailed past ideological blinders, and woefully ignorant of history, fifty-fifty of recent history.
Bartel gives u.s.a. ample graphs and charts that testify u.s.a. the discontinuity betwixt what people say they believe in, and how they actually limited themselves on policy questions and how they vote.
It suggests to me that, Fifty-fifty IF were were successful in bottling upward the gross flood of money from the wealthy elite, and in curbing partisan redistricting, and in replacing a thrust to heighten voting rights rather than spreading efforts to adjourn them, and in eliminating the insidious effect of "false news" and the spreaders of deliberate misinformation, we would still face up the overwhelming challenge of bringing our fellow men and women up to speed.
And just how could/would we exercise that? What are essential, objective facts as opposed to subjective judgments or mistruths? And how practice we become people talking to each other over again with resorting to ideological fortresses?
The caste of our Democracy's weakness is actually remarkable. While this book may likely not provide you with answers as to "what to practise" about the present dismal state of affairs, it will profoundly inform yous as to why we struggle so to advance in a climate permeated with ignorance and non-truth.
Recommended!
...moreThis is a volume virtually American politics, not political methodology or abstruse theoretical models with footling existent-world relevance. I wish information technology would be taught as a prime instance of political science inquiry, together with books like "United states Against Them" by Kinder and Kam, rather than the ofttimes trivial and unreadable periodical manufactures that dominate graduate courses in (American) political science.
...more thanIt would not be on Obama's reading list if it lacked the convenient determination. It contains some uncanny truths with a thin layer of - for relevant people acceptable - speculations on how to interpret the information, wrapped effectually it.
2 stars for provid The statistics are very, very useful. The conclusions are absurd and the explanations are mostly sought in the opposite direction from where the answers prevarication. But perchance it was the best way to successfully promote the publication to a broader audience.
It would not be on Obama's reading listing if information technology lacked the convenient conclusion. Information technology contains some uncanny truths with a thin layer of - for relevant people adequate - speculations on how to interpret the data, wrapped effectually it.
2 stars for providing others with some empirical evidence to back up their more sensible claims most the fallacy of commonwealth in The states. ...more
Takeaway lesson? Do
A rather good examination of the political aspects of economic inequality in the contemporary United states. The author pretty conclusively demonstrates that the U.s. political system only ignores the policy preferences of low-income individuals. This has created a feed-back loop wherein economic advantage leads to and reinforces political advantage and vice versa. It should come up as no surprise, and then, that economic inequality has reached heights not seen since the Aureate Age.Takeaway lesson? Don't be poor. If yous are, look the organization to continuously screw you over.
...moreThis is the about data-filled, enquiry-stocked compilation that honestly and provocatively exposes devestatingly necessary reality. It's a very tough read simply rewarding. I recommend it to anyone who doesn't understand the powerful relationship between american political parties and their straight influence of economic policy.
...more
He holds the May Werthan Shayne Chair of Public Policy and Social Science at Vanderbilt Academy.
His scholarship focuses on public opinion, campaigns and elections, representation, and public policy.
In addition to his books, he is also the author of numerous scholarly articles and of occasional pieces in the New York Times, Washington Post, Los A
Larry Bartels is an American political scientist.He holds the May Werthan Shayne Chair of Public Policy and Social Science at Vanderbilt Academy.
His scholarship focuses on public opinion, campaigns and elections, representation, and public policy.
In improver to his books, he is also the writer of numerous scholarly articles and of occasional pieces in the New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, and other outlets.
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